On September 1, Cameron and Will were rough housing, and I didn't see what happened, but essentially, Will got pushed down, landed funny, and broke his leg. I knew he was hurt badly because he wouldn't get up from falling, and was screaming. I brought him upstairs, started thinking well maybe he is getting sick because he got all clammy and sweaty, so I gave him some ibuprofen, and just held him for a few minutes to try and calm him down. He calmed down some, but not all the way, and Dan and I knew something was very wrong. Of course, this happened at 8:00pm, so the only option was instacare.
Cameron had been in trouble quite a bit lately for pushing his brother and not sharing, and he was pretty upset that he got sent to bed because Will was hurt.
I laid Will down on the couch to change his diaper and put fresh pajamas on him, and I felt his bones in his leg move and grind. As a mother, my stomach turned and my heart sank. His leg was sure enough very swollen, and I told Dan, his leg is broken. I am taking him to the doctor.
When we got to instacare, they examined and x-rayed his leg, and sure enough, his left femur had a low impact twist fracture, completely broken. The doctors at instacare could not take care of his leg, so up to the hospital in Salt Lake we went.
They got him immediately on heavy pain medicine and valium. The valium helped keep his muscle relaxed so it wouldn't spasm from pain and pull on his fracture. By this time, it was 11pm, and we were staying the night, Will would have to have surgery to set his fracture in the morning.
Thankfully, they were able to sedate him, take him to the OR, set his leg and cast it without any incisions or pins.
For 5 weeks, Will had to live in this cast- called a Spica cast. It was quite the ordeal. By the end of the time, he was walking and moving around despite his limitation!!!
Cameron was completely shattered that he had hurt his brother so badly, and I am afraid this was an unfortunate and difficult way for him to learn a lesson.
The recovery of kids amazes me. Had it been Dan or I with this kind of break, it would have been pins, plates, surgery, physical therapy, months and months of recovery. After 5 weeks, Will was weak, and didn't use his leg or walk again for about 10 days.
By his first follow up at 1 month after the cast, he was walking nearly normal. If you didn't know he had a break, you'd never catch his little quirk in his step. Now that it has been 5 months, he is completely back to normal!!
I can't help but think how amazing this kid is. It was really hard at first, while he still needed pain medication and valium, but after that first week, He really didn't let it slow him down. His attitude was amazing.
The only long term effect was that this delayed his speech. The surgeon told me it could- because it is traumatic event. He will undoubtedly catch up quickly though!!
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